Radio and like socket



I June'18, 1940. w LARKlN, JR 2,205,146

RADIO AND LIKE .socxm Filed Dec. 8, 1937 fig; wzzzwm JLaraJmJn a 3/ M yPatented June 18, 1940 UNITED STATES OFFICE RADIO AND LIKE SOCKETWilliam J. Larkin, Jr., MaldenyMass assignor to National Company, Inc.,Malden, Masa, a corporation of Massachusetts Application December a,1937, Serial No. 178.764

3 Claims. My invention aims to provide improvements in socket devices,particularly, though not exclusive-'- the reception 'of the I 1y, usefulin connection with prongs of a radio tube.

In the drawing, which illustrates a preferred 5 embodiment of myinvention:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my socket device in assembly with asupporting panel shown in crosssection; V

Fig. 2 is a top viewj of the installation shown in Fig. 1; f

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the installation shownin Fig. 1;

I se and tion 5 (Fig. 6) extendingaround the reduced per-.1,

tion 41. At spaced intervals around the base portion 3 I have formedopenings t extending upwardly into th'e.base from the lower face thereofand providing shoulders i (Fig. 6) at their closed ends for a purpose tobe described. The metal collar 2 is oi substantially elliptical formhaving an aperture 8 therein'slightly larger in diameter than thediameter of the reduced portion d of the body member i but smaller indiameter than the diameter of the base portion 3 whereby the collar' 2is supported by the ledge of the body member with the reduced portion 5extending through the aperture 8. Ass. means for securing the collarmember to the body member I have provided lug portions 9 extending frommaterial of the collar 2, in my'preferred form, adjacent the aperture 3and provided with hook-shaped free ends adapted to engage the shouldersi oi the openingsb to secure the parts firmly together. At opposed endsof the collar 2 I' have formed openings iii (Fig. 1) for receivingsuitable at- Fig. 9 is a side viewfoi the contact member tachingmember-s, such as a rivet I l for securing the socket device to a metalsupporting panel H. The supporting panel I! has an aperture i2 thereinthrough which extends'that portionof the reduced portion 4 of the bodymember ex-- tending beyond the plane of the collar member. In mypreferred form of socket device I have provided soldering lugs l3integral with the metal collar 2 and adapted to receive wires (notshown) from parts of a radio apparatus for grounding said parts to thesupporting panel l2 by means of direct contact between this member andthe collar 2. A plurality of hollow seats M are formed in the bodymember I for receiving the contact members. Each of the hollow seats it,as most clearly shown in Figs. 4 and- 7, has a substantially circularaperture l5 extending from the outer face it of the portion 4 of thebody member entirely through the body member and a substantiallyelongated opening ll adjacent the aperture is extending from the openface of the portion 3 partly through the body member. Material it of theportion 5 adjacent its open face 16 extends into the aperture it, asmost clearly shown in Fig. 5, forming a shoulder i9 for a purpose to bedescribed.

Each of the contact members is formed from a single piece of springmaterial and has a pair of yieldable-portions ZED-20 spaced one fromanother and bent to provide a circular-like opening for receiving acontact prong (not shown) of a tube member. The yieldable portions 2t-2ii are connected together at their sides by a laterally extending loopportion 2|. At the upper free ends of the yieldable portions iii-+20 Ihave provided flared-out portions 22-22 adapted to efiect assembly ofthe contact members with the body. member i in a manner to be described.My pre; ferred contact member is provided with a soldering lug 23 formedas a continuation of one of the yieldable portions 2|! andhaving anaperture 26 for receiving an end of a wire (not shown) to be soldered,or otherwise secured, to the contact member.

Assembly ofthe contact members with the body member i is a relativelysimple matter and may be carried out manually through moving each of thecontact members into a respective hollow. seat it from outside the faceis of the portion 3 of the body member so that the yieldable portionstil-20 are disposed within the aperture i5 and the loop portion ii isdisposed within the elongated aperture IT. The contact member is movedthrough the hollow seat untilthe outwardlyfiared portions 22 -22 engagethe projecting porcal tion [8 causing the yieldable portions 26-46 tocontract to permit passage by the portion id, at which time they expandto position. the outwardly-flared portion 22-22 behind the shoulder i9.Thus the shoulder 49 prevents removal of the contact member in thedirection from which it was inserted and the closed end 25 (Fig. 4) ofthe elongated aperture ill prevents movement of the contact memberthrough the hollow seat in the direction of insertion. The contactmembers are now securely assembled with the body member i in position toreceive cooperating contact prongs of a tube member (not shown) and atthe same time the yieldable portions 20-2B of the respective members arefree to expand slightly upon receiving the contact prongs. It is to benoted that, while the contacts cannot become disassembled accidentally,they are free to float in the apertures thus adapting themselves easilyto the prongs when inserted.' It is also apparent that theoutwardly-flared portions 2222 serve a double purpose in that theycomprise not only a means for securing assembly of the contact memberswith the body member, but, also, a lead for effecting an easy entranceof the contact prongs between the yieldable portions 2[l2fl.

Thus it will be seen that my improved socket device is made up ofrelatively inexpensive parts which are very easily assembled, especiallywith respect to the assembly of the contact members with the bodymember.

Although I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of myinvention, Ido not wish to be limited thereby because the scope of myinvention is best defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. An electrical socket comprising, in combination, a body member ofinsulating material, said body member having an aperture extendingentirely therethrough and an opening adjacent said aperture extendingpartly therethrough so as to be closed at its inner end, said bodymember having a projecting portion extending into said apertureproviding a shoulder, a metal contact member having yieldable portionsconnected at one side and adapted to receive a prong between them, saidyieldable portions being snapped by said projecting portion into saidaperture, and

said connected side being seated in said opening, the closed end of saidopening and said shoulder combining to prevent removal of said contactmember from said body member.

2. An electrical socket comprising, in combination, a body member ofinsulating material, said body member 'having a substantially circularaperture extending entirely therethrough and an elongated openingadjacent said aperture extending partly therethrough so as to be closedat its inner end, said body member having a projecting portion extendinginto said circular aperture providing a shoulder, a metal contact memberhaving bowed yieldable portions adapted to receive a contact prongbetween them, a laterally-extending loop portion connecting saidyieldable portions at one side, said yieldable portions being snapped bysaid projecting portion into said aperture whereby said shoulder limitsmovement of said contact member in a direction opposite to that ,of itsinsertion, said loop portion being seated with-in saidelongated openingand the closed end of said last-mentioned opening limiting movement ofsaid contact member in the direction of its insertion.

3. An electrical socket comprising, in combination, a body member ofinsulating material, said body member having an aperture extendingtherethrough andan opening adjacent said aperture extending partlytherethrough so as to be closed at its inner end, said body memberhaving a projecting portion extending into said aperture providing ashoulder, a metal contact member having yieldable portions connected atone side adapted to receive a prong between them, said yieldableportions having outwardly-flared portions at their ends, said yieldableportions being snapped by said projecting portion whereby saidoutwardly-flared portions are disposed behind said shoulders to limitmovement of said contact ing movement of said contact member in the di-'rection of its insertion.

WILLIAM J. LARKIN, JR.

